Friction and inertia counteracting device for scales.



E. H. STRAUSS. PRIO'I'IOH AND INERTIA GOUNTEBAUTING DEVICE FOR SGALES.

AP-PLIOATION FILED AUG: 29, 1904.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

EIWITIIIIIIIIII m m a 9 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST HUGO STRAUSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN COMMERCE& SPECIALTY 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FRICTION AND INERTIA COUNTERACTING- DEVICE FOR SCALES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed August 29, 1904. Serial No. 222,532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST HUGO STRAUSS, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Friction and Inertia Counteracting Devices for Scales;and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in friction and inertiacounteracting devices for beam scales.

It is a well known fact that in using the ordinary beam scales forcommercial purposes, a merchant is subject to constant loss by reason ofthe fact that a weight being placed on one pan of the scale and thescale beam thrown from its normal or level position, an exact equivalentof the weight in merchandise placed in the opposite pan will not restorethe scale to balanced position, but an over-weight must be added on themerchandise pan to overcome the scale beams inertia and frictionalresistance to the movement. This over-weight is ordinally permitted bymerchants to remain in the scoop of material being sold, to avoid theimpression of close dealing that the customer would obtain were theoverweight then removed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a device forassociation with scales which will counteract the inertia and frictionalresistance above mentioned, and'insure that the scale be brought tobalance when the merchandise receiving pan is weighted with goods toexact equality with the weight upon the weight pan, thereby enabling themerchant to weigh closely without the appearance of stinginess.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is not attached to the scale and which, when cooperatingwith the scale, is entirely concealed from the purchaser. And a yetfurther object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is simple in construction and efficient in operation,and which is susceptible of very delicate adjustment in many respects.

With a view to attaining these and other objects, which will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following description andthe appended claims, my invention consists in the features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully describedand specified in the claims.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of a deviceembodying my invention, showing it in operative association to aconvenient form of scale. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one form of mycomplete device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form oftension device embodying features of my invention. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the device shown in Fig. 3.

Throughout the drawings like characters of reference refer always tolike parts.

Referring now to Fig. l, A indicates in general a scale of well knownconstruction comprising a hollow base a, a movable element or lever awithin the base, a parallel exterior lever a and the weight pan (1 andthe merchandise scoop a operatively connected with the levers a and a.

Certain of the features of my invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, are adaptable to any style of scale, but theconstruction specifically shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is particularly adaptedfor scales having hollow bases .in which are located movable elementsforming part of the poise mechanism.

5 indicates a stand for the scale which may be of any suitableconstruction but is preferably provided with positioning blocks 66arranged to hold the scale in definite relation to the stand, and ispreferably provided with a longitudinal recess 7, of suitable depth.

8 indicates as a whole a tension device the form of which, shown in Fig.1, I will now describe.

9 indicates a carrying plate provided with upturned ears 101O betweenwhich is pivoted a lever rod 11 which constitutes the prime movablemember of the device. The lever rod and its appurtenances are soarranged that when the said rod is moved from normal position, it exertsa tendency to return to such position, and the rod is, in use, soassociated with the lever a of the scale, that when said lever a is innormal position the tension device exerts no effect thereon, but thatwhen the said lever a is tilted by a weight placedupon the weight pan,it acts upon the tension lever-rod to move from its normal position sothat it exerts a restoring tension upon the scale lever.

The normally elevated, or front end of the lever-rod 11, is preferablyprovided with a head 12 through which is threaded a vertical stem 13provided at its upper extremity with a cross piece 14: adapted when innormal position to lie exactly below the scalelever a, and preferablyout of contact therewith when the scale lever a is in horizontal or truebalanced position. It will be apparent that the stem 13 may bevertically adjusted to suit the height of any lever a.

1 1 is a set screw taking through the head 12 to secure the stem 13 inadjusted position. The remote end of the lever 11 overbalances the frontend thereof just described, so that when the front end is depressed atension is exerted tending to restore it to normal or elevated position.I prefer, however, that the inherent tension be adjustable and to thisend I screw-thread the rear end of the rod 11, as shown at 15, and mountthereon for longitudinal adjustment a weight 16 preferably in the formof a nut. I also provide means for adjusting the normal inclination ofthe rod 11 to the horizontal. 17 indicates an adjustable screw, threadedthrough the rod 11, and projecting below the rod 11, to serve as a stopto limit the downward movement of the rear end of said rod.

It will be apparent that by adjustment of the screw 17 the position ofthe head 1 1, relative to the scale, may be varied. It will further beseen that by properly adjusting the screw 17 or both the screw 17 andthe stem 13 the maximum range of movement of the rod 11 may be varied.

I preferably mount the entire tension device 8 for longitudinal movementrelative to the scale beam a, and to this end I provide at the bottom ofthe recess 7 a suitable guideway for the carrier plate 9, said guidewaybeing preferably formed by metallic strips 18 bent to overlie and guidethe edges of the carrier plate 9.

It will be apparent now that the adjustment of the nut 16 effects theinherent tension of the tension device, while the adjustment of thetension device bodily longitudinally of the slot varies its effectiveaction on the scale beam at any given inherent tension, so that byproper manipulation of the adjustable parts the tension device may benicely suited to the requirement of either very delicate or coarserscales, and made to act upon the scale-lever with any desired tension,within certain limits.

In Figs. 3 and 1 I have illustrated a modified form of tension deviceembodying my invention, said device being indicated as a whole by thenumeral 8. In said figures 9 indicates a base plate having upturned ears10 between which is pivoted a lever member 11], preferably a flat metalstrip bent to pre sent intermediate its ends an elevated por tion 12 forcontact with the scale beam a.

13 indicates a screw-threaded stud mounted in vertical position at theforward end of the plate 9 and carrying a threaded washer 1 1 betweenwhich and the lever 11' is mounted a coiled spring 15 exerting itstension to maintain the lever 11 in elevated position. It will beapparent that by adjustment of the washer 1% the inherent tension of thedevice may be increased or decreased in accordance with the compressionput upon the spring 15.

16 indicates a screw-threaded stud projecting from the plate 9 andpassing through the lever 11, said stud carrying at its upper end anadjustable nut 17 against which the lever 11 bears, and by theadjustment of which the maximum elevation of the lever 11 is determined.

It will be apparent that by adjustment of the parts 14 and 17 in themodified form of tension device, substantially the same effect may beattained as by the adjustment of the parts 16 and 17 of theweight-actuated tension device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will further be apparent that the plate 9 may be inserted in theguides 18 of the stand so that the modified form of tension device willhave the same adjustment longitudinally of the scale beam as thefirst-described form of tension device.

Vhile I have herein described for purposes of a full disclosure of myinvention, two operative embodiments thereof, I do not desire to beunderstood as limiting myself to the specific details of suchconstructions further than as specified in the claims, as it will beapparent that structural changes might be made without departure fromthe spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a scale having a hollow base and a movable scaleelement within the base, a self-contained tension device arranged withinthe scale base to be concealed thereby and associated with said movablescale element to normally exert no effect thereon and to exert arestoring tension on said element when the latter is moved to unbalancedposition.

2. As an article of manufacture, a selfcontained tension device forscales adapted for association with a movable scale part to 'oppose theaction of the counterpoise through a portion of the movement of saidscale part, comprising a carrying plate, a movable member constructedand adapted to be set beneath the hollow base of the scale forconcealment thereby, and said movable member being movable withincertain limits only to be put under tension, and adjusting means forvarying one limit of movement of said member.

3. The combination with a scale having a hollow base and a movable leverwithin the base, of a self contained tension device arranged within thescales base to be concealed thereby, and associated with said scalelever to normally exert no effect thereon, and to exert a restoringtension upon said lever when the latter is moved to unbalanced position,said tension device being adjustable toward and from the scale leverfulcrum to vary its effect upon said lever.

4. The combination with a scale having a hollow base and a movablescale-element within the base, of a stand on which the scale-base rests,and a tension device carried by the stand arranged to be concealed bythe scale-base, and associated with the movable scale-element tonormally exert no effect thereon and to exert a restoring tension onsaid element when the latter is moved to one unbalanced position.

5. In combination with a scale having a hollow base and a movablelever-element within the base, a stand on which the scalebase rests, anda tension device carried by said stand and adjustable longitudinallythereof, said tension device being arranged to be concealed by thescale-base and associated with the movable scale-element to normallyexert no effect thereon and to exert a restoring tension thereon whenthe scaleelement is moved to one unbalanced position.

6. In combination, a stand adapted to receive a hollow-based scale, anda scale-restoring tension device carried by said stand adapted forcoaction with a movable scale element to restore it toward balancedposition when the element is overbalanced by the weighing weight. w

7. In combination, a stand adapted to receive a hollow based scale, anda tension device, adapted for association with a movable scale part toyieldingly oppose the depression of the counterpoise, carried by thestand, said tension device being adapted to be concealed within thehollow scale base and comprising a pivoted lever and an adjustableweight mounted on said lever.

8. In a device of the character described, a

movable member, a stand having a recess therein, an adjustable tensiondevice mounted in the recess in the stand adapted for coaction with thelower lever of a hollow base scale, to exert a tension thereon opposingthe action of the counterpoise and arranged to be concealed by the scalebase and adjusting means for varying the limit of movement of saidmovable member.

9. In combination, a stand adapted to receive a hollow base scale and atension device carried by said stand adapted to be concealed within thescale base, said tension device comprising a support, a lever 11 pivotedin said support, a weight on said lever on one side of the pivotalpoint, and an upright stem 13 adjustably mounted on the other end ofsaid lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST HUGO STRAUSS.

In presence of- GEORGE T. MAY, J r., MARY F. ALLEN.

